Ceiling height is usually your limiting factor, so do your best to find or build a high-ceilinged space. If you were to try to grow in an area with a 4-foot ceiling, the lights would hang down 12 inches. The plant containers are 12 inches tall and the tables the plants are on are 12 inches tall (to accommodate wastewater drainage). You can see there would be little growing room left, and heat would quickly build up and cause problems. A 6- to 8-foot ceiling minimum is a must, but the higher the ceiling, the better.
If you are using an existing structure (i.e., a closet, bedroom, outbuilding, basement, or garage), the shape and size is dictated to you. You will have to work around the design situation you already have. If building a new structure for your growing environment, you will be free to design a perfect situation.
If building a new environment, the construction methods you will use are essentially the same ones used in building a house: basic 2 × 4-inch framed ceiling and walls, and so on, with minor differences.
After framing the walls in the dimensions you want, you are ready for the electrical installation (see electrical section). After all electrical wiring, fuse box subpanels, receptacles, and plugs are completely finished, the next step is to install building-code-compliant insulation. This will aid in keeping the environment cool in the daytime or summer and warm at night or in winter. Next, you will place Thermal Shield (available on the internet or at your local hydroponics supply store) over the insulation. To protect you from illegal searches with thermal imaging cameras / devices, wrap all ventilation ducts, too.
After the electrics are done, and once the ventilation (see section on ventilation) is tested and deemed safe and compliant, you will cover the interior walls. Instead of using standard gypsum-type sheetrock, you will want to use a material used in bathrooms called green rock or DensGlass, which is fiberglass faced drywall and very moisture resistant. Walls constructed with green rock and DensGlass withstand moisture—and, when covered and painted with a mold-inhibiting paint (such as Kills primer covered with white paint or sheets of white Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic [FRP]), are the best combination for preventing mold, mildew, and fungi. After the outer walls are completed, you are ready to choose what system to use.
Note: if using an area that does not permit the use of growing trays, a shelf structure is your next best option, custom-made to suit. Ideally, the shelves will be covered with ⅛-inch thick sheet plastic or waterproof material on top, slightly sloping forward to allow for drainage and eliminating the possibility of stagnating water. Drain this into a collection reservoir, to be dumped by hand or automated with water pumps; whichever you prefer. The shelf must be sturdy and strong, made of metal, plastic, or wood, and, if it’s the latter, covered with sealer and mold-inhibiting paint.
Whichever system you choose—purchased or constructed, drippers or sprayers, 5-gallon bucket, aeroponic, NFT recirculation, or aerated deep water recirculation in tubes—everything must be sterilized and disinfected.
No ceiling height limiter here.
Photo: Freebie
Grow Room Basics
Electrical wiring must be done right.
Good organization is key.
Proper storage for all nutrients.
Monitors for temperature, humidity, and PPM.
Photos: Freebie
Tools.
Closet for cloning supplies.
Supply closet.
Nutrients and hydroponic system supplies.
Storage for lights.
Before you introduce plants to a new environment, there are a few precautionary measures to take.
Pyrethrumbombs may be used in your empty chambers to eliminate unwanted pests.
Chlorine bleach, mixed at ten parts water to one part bleach, can be used to clean all surfaces inside the chamber and in hydroponic and aeroponic systems between harvests. Be sure to rinse off all trace amounts of bleach solution after cleaning.
Food grade 27% hydrogen peroxide may also be used to decontaminate growing chambers, mixed at ten parts water to one part hydrogen peroxide.
Note: when undertaking this final precaution, spray either the bleach / water or peroxide / water (Caution! Never mix both!) solution from a 5-gallon pressurized garden sprayer (peroxide does not smell and leaves no harmful residue). Spray walls, ceilings, floors, all cleanable areas and surfaces. Electrical components should be wiped down with a washcloth dampened with the solution. Always wear rubber gloves, a protective breathing apparatus / mask, and eye protection when spraying bleach, and be sure to keep the area very well ventilated. (Flora Kleen by General Hydroponics is a fantastic hydroponic disinfectant. It both sterilizes hydro systems and eliminates salt / mineral deposits.
ONA is a good chlorine bleach alternative. It is used for disinfection and general cleanliness, and does not harm plants or animals. It does not emit toxic fumes. It can be used for sterilizing entire systems and growrooms and eliminating fungi and bacteria even in mid-growing cycle (or, of course, when your grow area is empty). ONA also eliminates mineral deposits.